I've got almost 300 pictures of the Fargo. Heck, it might even be 400. OK, maybe even 500. I've even got a couple of you riding one! I love this bike. Since frames just started shipping last week. I'm sure some crazy builds will show up here. Let's try to keep this thread to pictures. If you've got some specific questions, create a new post. We all need more pics.
Here's mine. Apologies for the poor quality photo; it's a cell phone camera.
This is my first nice bike. I've been riding MTBs off and on for 15 years, but they were both totally stock, much lower end bikes. I wanted to get a good do-it-all bike for my 40th birthday, with bias toward something that would work for bike camping and long gravel road exploration. I know very little (read: next to nothing) about components, bike fit, or bike technology in general, but when I saw the photos of the Fargo, it was love at first sight.
I ordered a frame from the regional Salsa dealer and they assured me I'd be getting one of the very first ones. I relied on their advice along with the factory bike specs, and had them build it for me. It's very similar to the factory complete bike, except that the wheels are the Salsa Delgado 29er Race model, and the shifters are different. Oh, and I got the Thudbuster ST after seeing it on the Gnat blog.
I've had it for about 5 days, and thus far I've done some town cruising, a couple of hours of singletrack, and some laps on a local cyclocross course. So far it's a blast. It feels like it's glued to the ground, but fast. I have no idea how a bike like this should fit, so I'm open to suggestions. Right after taking the photo I lowered the handlebars to one spacer above the bottom, and it seems OK. I have very short legs for my height (5'11", 30" inseam), so the sloping top tube is really nice for me.
The bike handles really well on singletrack, but the clearance is a little low for many of the trails around here. I'm sure it's probably set up this way to enhance stability while touring, which is fine with me.
I have a Surly rear rack and a frame bag on order for it. So far two people have independently named it my "Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome Bike", which I think fits it quite well.
PS: I'm also soliciting recommendations on fenders that will work with racks.
Last edited by sanjuanswan : 11-10-2008 at 05:07 PM.
My rolling chassis is up and I hope to get her strung up tonight. The stem set-up is temp while I figure out where I want to end up and how I want to get there. I wish you could buy a nice stem with more rise than 15 degrees. Not that Dimension isn't the last word in quality hardware or anything.
Big rubber looks good on it! Plenty of clearance with Rampages.
Congrats on being the first rider to get one of these built and spend some time on it beyond one of us "industry folk"! The setup looks fantastic, simple and practical. From your photo it appears that the bar height is good for primary use in the drops. There is no "perfect" method for this. Try different things, rely on your shop and folks that you trust for advice and you'll figure it out.
The BB is low and you nailed it on the "why"? If it is cranks that your hitting, shorter arms would help. If it is chainrings and you find yourself not using the big ring, or wanting to ride more aggresive singletrack you could always drop the big ring and put on a bashguard.
The "Mad Max" analogy is great! I've heard some others as well. When people have asked me "what is that?" I've been calling the Fargo the "#@$% Kicker", threatened to ride it at a local cross event and ride through the barriers, and my favorite yet, enter a local criterium event on it. The bikes is tough, versatile, and super fun!
Go Kart,
Come on man! SanJuan's got his built and is riding it, what are you waiting for? Seriously. I can't wait to hear to what people think of them as they get out there and get some time on the bikes.
I probably won't be able to get one any time soon, as it has more than doubled in price due to the collapse of my country's currency (think $5-6k for a complete).
I don't have my Fargo frame yet, but when I do get it, this is how I intend to build it up. It's going to be slightly different from other builds I've seen so far.... The most glaring difference will be my H-bars (not drop bars), hydraulic disc brakes, and vintage friction thumb shifters. I'm hoping to see some very creative variations out there... Here's what my Fargo will look like:
Fargo frame and fork, size Large (I'm 6'1", 34-inch inseam)
Thomson Elite seatpost (410mm long)
Brooks B17 Special saddle (honey color)
Chris King headset
Salsa Cromoto stem (length and pitch TBD, to fit)
Titec H-bar handlebar, wrapped
Shimano hydraulic disc brakes and levers (Deore/LX)
Vintage 1985 Suntour XC thumbshifters (friction, non-indexed)
Shimano SLX front and rear derailleurs
Shimano SLX crankset (44/32/22 teeth)
SRAM 9-speed cassette
Rims: Stan's ZTR Flow 36-hole rim with tubeless rim tape
Front wheel: Schmidt Nabendynamo (Son28) disc generator hub
Rear wheel: Phil Wood disc cassette hub
Spokes: DT Swiss double-butted
Road Tires: Schwalbe Big Apple 29 x 2.35, tubeless (yes, tubeless)
Off-road Tires: Panaracer Rampage 29 x 2.35, tubeless
Fenders (when needed): Planet Bike Cascadia
Rear rack - Tubus Logo
Front rack - TBD, need recommendations. Must coexist with my lowrider Tubus Tara rack
Lights - Home-built J-Dro 3-LED handlebar-mounted generator light (it ROCKS!)
Pedals - Dual-sided cage/SPD pedals
Additional bling:
Niner bottle cap stem cap (because you are what you drink)
Japanese brass stem-spacer bell
Now how cool is that gonna be?
Peace,
BB
Last edited by montclairbobbyb : 11-22-2008 at 05:23 AM.
Reason: Typo fix
My rolling chassis is up and I hope to get her strung up tonight. The stem set-up is temp while I figure out where I want to end up and how I want to get there. I wish you could buy a nice stem with more rise than 15 degrees. Not that Dimension isn't the last word in quality hardware or anything.
Big rubber looks good on it! Plenty of clearance with Rampages.[/quote]
My Fargo is a large and seems like it will fit quite nice (6 ft.), but the bars will need to come up just a shade more. I will be in the drops most of the time on this bike.
Nice looking bike. I like the length of the headtube on your size Large. I may have to go XL though. I am always between sizes. Oh well.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Go Kart Motzart
Sorry, I just now saw your post.
My Fargo is a large and seems like it will fit quite nice (6 ft.), but the bars will need to come up just a shade more. I will be in the drops most of the time on this bike.
I'm finally getting a few fall miles in on my Fargo and have to say I'm totally digging it. We've put one together for the wife also to replace her cyclocross bike with something more trail friendly and have eliminated toe overlap in the process which is a big deal for her. My Schnauzer loves them too and can't wait to get out in her tail wagon for a trail ride soon.
Mine is large built up with a shimano mix of bar ends and xt/xtr drivetrain, Sugino cranks Hope/Stans wheels with Captain 2.2s tubeless.
I went with a 172.5 crank to help with ground strikes but I've spent a lot of time on a cross bike on the same trails so I'm pretty good at keeping them to a minimum. I'd even try a set of 170s if I could get them cheap enough.
Wife's is a small with the build kit pulled from her cross bike other than the disc brakes and pink king stuff. We just got it together and with company in town for the holidays she hasn't gotten out yet.
My home trails are the same ones that the salsa crew ride to work as I live in Bloomington so it's safe to say these bikes have seen a few miles on our river trails around here. It works really really well down there and I'm thinking that it'd be perfect for the Fat Tire 40 if I happen to get in.
That's definitely my kind of build. Functional without being too flashy. What size is yours for reference?
Quote:
Originally Posted by PMC
...
Mine is large...
Wife's is a small...
Cheers
Pete
I read carefully,since I want to build a Fargo, if I can sell off a couple bikes, this economy is bad for sellers unless you want to take a bath on price...
MCB - I'm 6'1" with an 89cm inseam, saddle height is around 78.5cm. I ended up with a 8cm 90 degree stem thinking I had bought a 9cm but it seems to be working pretty good so I'm keeping it. I'd usually ride something longer than an 8 or 9 on a road bike but it really works on this bike. You can't really tell from the photo but the bars are a bit higher than the saddle, probably an inch higher which seems to work pretty good but I don't think I would go any higher.
On my road and cross bikes the cockpit is set up longer and lower, I'd run a 120mm stem with about 3.5 inches of drop if all other measurements were equal.
Slightly disappointed at a seeming lack of front rack options for the Fargo... So far, aside from the Nitto (M18?) front rack from the Interbike model, I've neither heard nor seen few other front rack options. Anyone run a Nice Rack on the front? (I know the rear Nice Rack fits, but concerned about front disc brake interference). Also, has anyone tried installing a Tubus Tara lowrider yet?
In particular I would like to install a light load rack that fastens via the mid-fork braze-ons (like the M18, but a little less spendy) for everyday riding, AND also have the option of adding the Tara for more loaded riding.
Slightly disappointed at a seeming lack of front rack options for the Fargo... So far, aside from the Nitto (M18?) front rack from the Interbike model, I've neither heard nor seen few other front rack options. Anyone run a Nice Rack on the front? (I know the rear Nice Rack fits, but concerned about front disc brake interference). Also, has anyone tried installing a Tubus Tara lowrider yet?
In particular I would like to install a light load rack that fastens via the mid-fork braze-ons (like the M18, but a little less spendy) for everyday riding, AND also have the option of adding the Tara for more loaded riding.
I may end up making my own... Any ideas? Thx!
Peace,
BB
Some of the photos of the Salsa guys' Fargos show a Velo-Orange Porteur rack installed on the front.
This may be a silly question, but are the bar con shifters compatible with SRAM ders? I would like to shift over parts, but I'm running X9 rear and it's virtually new. Would I have to get something from the big "S" or would the combination of barcons and SRAM work? Anybody trying this?
More details... Front Racks are tough. The 29er tire doesn't allow for lowrider racks with a stabilizing front loop that goes over the tire. Most of these racks were not designed with a 29 in mind, just a 35 and a fender. This is why the Tubus Duo is great. It mounts to both sides of the mid-blade mount to stabilize the rack with a load on it.
I've run the VO Porteur extensively and I love it! It is great for around town errands, commuting, some touring. It will work with panniers, but puts the load high. Heavy, high loads do not ride well. I have however picked up my CSA (Large box of vegetables) multiple times with the Portuer rack. I Love It!
We have also run the Surly Nice Rack and Nitto M18 extensively. GNAT road the m18 with a small dry bag strapped in, this seemed to work well for clothing and light loads. He'll have to comment. I haven't heard much on the Nice Rack, although it clearly mounts up and will handle large loads. It is expedition worthy and over-built for 99% of us, but will clearly serve needs.
Rear Racks are much easier. We designed the dropout eyelet to be in a position so 99% of racks out there would clear the 29 tire. So you will very easily find one to fit. The difficult point here is the attachment to the seatstay. You may need long mounting straps if your rack doesn't come with them. This is a result of seatstay position in relation to the rack caused by a shorter seat tube and increased standover of the frame. Geek stuff, but trust me on this, make sure your mounting struts or straps are long enough!
Frame Bags are also a great idea to consider...Eric at EpicDesigns does great bags, as does Jeff at Carousel.
Nope. Not compatible. Unless you choose to run them in friction that is. Even the SRAM barends won't work as the road line pulls a different cable amount vs. the Mtn stuff.
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Hey GT, How "Big a Boy are ya"? What is your inseam, etc?
I am 6'1" and my "cycling inseam" is a hair over 34". My saddle height from the center of the BB is 31" and my measurement from the saddles center to the centerline of the stem bar clamp is 28". (Normally it is 28", on this Fargo it is 27")
if I have a 30" inseam? I've read that Salsa tends to run a little big, at least as far as the cross bikes go (the compact sizing and all) so would a medium allow me to place the bars at the correct height to ride the drops most of the time?
Ok, so now that there are quite a few of you who have logged a decent number of miles on this bike I have a survey of sorts for all of you. Because of the versatility designed into this bike I'm curious what range of uses and setups people are going for with their Fargo.
This is part curiosity and part research since I'm looking at getting one of these when the completes hit in February. My use will be commuting, occasional bike camping and exploration ride. Not much in the way of unpaved roads in my area. Just pavement or singletrack.
That said:
1. List off what you use your Fargo for (e.g. Commuting, road touring, off road touring, technical singletrack riding, etc...)
2. What percentage of your riding spent on each surface type (e.g. paved road vs. dirt road vs technical singletrack.)
3. What is your bar setup for the types of riding listed above? Specificallly:
A. Which model bar you prefer.
B. How high you have it setup compared with either a typcial road drop or MTB drop setup that you have previously used, or describe the height compared to the saddle for reference.
C. Percentage of time spent in the drops vs. the hoods or tops with this setup.
4. optional: what type of cargo system you use with this bike. front or rear rack, frame bag, etc...
The third question may be really helpful to others not yet riding this bike. I'm curious myself how people are setting up the bars when they ride both pavement and dirt. Are you putting them up high to use the drops off road and sacrificing comfortable road positions?
Fill me in while I wait through the winter. Thanks!
Has anyone done a road trip on a Fargo yet? Loaded? I'm looking for a bike to cross the country and possibly do the CDT some day & the Fargo seems perfect.
1. List off what you use your Fargo for (e.g. Commuting, road touring, off road touring, technical singletrack riding, etc...)
So far I've ridden paved roads, dirt roads, technical singletrack, non-technical singletrack, and a cyclocross course (not racing). Planned: on-road and off-road touring.
Quote:
2. What percentage of your riding spent on each surface type (e.g. paved road vs. dirt road vs technical singletrack.)
So far, probably 60% pavement, 20% singletrack, 20% other. It's really sloppy here right now, so I'll be doing mostly road riding for a while.
Quote:
3. What is your bar setup for the types of riding listed above? Specificallly:
A. Which model bar you prefer.
B. How high you have it setup compared with either a typcial road drop or MTB drop setup that you have previously used, or describe the height compared to the saddle for reference.
C. Percentage of time spent in the drops vs. the hoods or tops with this setup.
I have the Salsa drop bars, set up pretty high in relation to the seat. I have little choice in this matter without changing stems: I have short legs and my saddle is quite low, but the stem is set up only one spacer above the head tube.
I still ride roads on the hoods; most of the time on the trail is in the drops.
Quote:
4. optional: what type of cargo system you use with this bike. front or rear rack, frame bag, etc...
I have a Surly rear rack and an Epic Designs frame bag. I've never had a bike with either before, so I don't have much feedback. The Surly rack is pretty heavy and I do seem to notice that it's there when riding singletrack.
The following is an email chain with Jay Guthrie of JTek Engineering:
Original Email:
I would like to use a Shimano 9 speed bar end shifter with a mountain bike SRAM x.9 rear derailleur. Would the ShiftMate Straight model #6S be the correct item? I prefer to use the straight over the regular ShiftMate.
Response:
Yes, that's correct. The cable routing on the Straight version is better for the SRAM x9 rear derailleur.
Best Regards,
Jay Guthrie
Jtek Engineering
__________________ You must be the change you wish to see in the world~Mahatma Gandhi
AT LONG LAST, my Fargo frame and fork arrived this week. After several long evenings in the labora-tree, I finally emerged yesterday in the waning daylight hours to reveal my newest Franken-creation.... BEHOLD, THE LAND BEAST...... IT LIVES!!!!
1. List off what you use your Fargo for (e.g. Commuting, road touring, off road touring, technical singletrack riding, etc...) YES, plus urban assault...
2. What percentage of your riding spent on each surface type (e.g. paved road vs. dirt road vs technical singletrack.) Sorry, that is a silly question, and I refuse to answer it... To suggest that the Land Beast could possibly be confined to one over the other is utterly absurd....
3. What is your bar setup for the types of riding listed above? Specificallly:
A. Which model bar you prefer. Titec H-bar... haven't tried anything else, but can't imagine a better setup...
B. How high you have it setup compared with either a typcial road drop or MTB drop setup that you have previously used, or describe the height compared to the saddle for reference. I subscribe to the "Grant Peterson philosophy", that suggests bar height should be at or above seat height for maximum comfort. My bar is close to seat height, but I am taking it one step further, adding a higher rise Thomson stem, resulting in a slightly shorter and higher reach.
C. Percentage of time spent in the drops vs. the hoods or tops with this setup. N/A... Hoods? We don't need no stinkin hoods... But I do spend about 10% of my time with hands resting on the bars over the hydraulic reservoirs (which I guess qualifies as my hoods, right???)
4. optional: what type of cargo system you use with this bike. front or rear rack, frame bag, etc... Yet to be installed, but here is my diabolical plan: Tubus Logo - rear, Tubus Tara - front (with some necessary customization to the fender), and an Axiom Odysee disc rack, Franken-rigged as a front porteur rack, taking advantage of the mid-fork brazes.... Mbwaahaaahaa!!!
And please pardon the cynical answers, ATXSS.... I'm still giddy from finishing this build, and having way too much fun riding it!!!! Thanks, and Peace,
And please pardon the cynical answers, ATXSS.... I'm still giddy from finishing this build, and having way too much fun riding it!!!! Thanks, and Peace,
MBB
No worries mate. That truly is a one-of-a-kind setup you've got there. I'm sure it suits you well. Enjoy it!
Salsa Fargo Build
My New Fargo
Linear Mode
